Bookshelf

(New York: Bloomsbury, 2021).
The Court of Thorns and Roses series continues with this latest adult fantasy novel from the best-selling author who also brought us the popular Throne of Glass series. According to the publisher, “Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance — and healing — in each other’s arms.”

(Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Press, 2021)
According to the publisher, “Over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, the increasing accuracy and legibility of cartographic projections, the proliferation of empirically based chorographies, and the popular vogue for travel narratives served to order, package, and commodify space in a manner that was critical to the formation of a unified Britain. In tandem with such developments, however, a trenchant anti-cartographic skepticism also emerged. This critique of the map can be seen in many literary works of the period that satirize the efficacy and value of maps and highlight their ideological purposes.”

The author, an associate professor of English at Hofstra University, argues that our understanding of the production of national space during this time must also account for these sites of resistance and opposition to hegemonic forms of geographical representation, such as the map.

(Seattle: ChangeStart Press, 2020)
According to the publisher: “This book shines a light on an under-reported issue — senior leadership neglect in preparing the bosses to whom they delegate the task of managing the organization’s people. Some funny, some sad, and some inspirational true stories of worker experiences clearly reveal the impact of management behavior on individual and team engagement.”

By introducing readers to bad and ugly bosses, as well as exemplary ones, the author analyzes why managerial competence is so urgent at a time when the workplace and the workforce are changing and evolving. Now more than ever, bosses must be equipped with essential human relations skills and the ability to nurture talent and provide a safe environment for fostering innovation and creativity.

(New York: Del Rey/Random House, 2021)

One reader described the latest book from the New York Times bestselling author this way: “An otherworldly adventure from the fertile mind of one of the most beloved storytellers of our generation.”

The first in a new fantasy series, the story focuses on a human girl struggling to find her place in a magical world she’s never known. According to the publisher, “At 19, Auris Afton Grieg has led an . . . unusual life. Since the age of 14, she has been trapped in a Goblin prison. Why? She does not know. She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions. All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison, and rumors say that the adult version is far, far worse. So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands. And it is here that Auris’s journey of discovery begins, for she is rescued by a handsome yet alien stranger.”

Author of the popular Shannara saga, as well as the novel based on the screenplay and story by George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Brooks has written 41 books. Two of his novels, Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word, were selected by the Rocky Mountain News as two of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the 20th century.

(London: Bloomsbury, 2021)
According to the publisher, “Illustrator, designer and educator Marty Blake takes you through the craft of creative lettering: what you need to know about working with various media and how to incorporate image and text successfully. Each chapter focuses on one technique, covering its history, the tools and techniques needed to achieve it, along with examples from designers and illustrators from around the world – all with critical reflection on what works, and why.”

(Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland Publishers, 2021)
Described by one reviewer as a “meticulously researched love letter to horror hosts and the films they show,” this book takes readers on a journey through the best TV horror films, beginning with the 1930s black-and-white classics and ending with the grislier color films of the early 1970s. The author also explores the horror hosts, who introduced the films and offered insight into the plots, actors, and directors.

(New York: Bloomsbury, 2022)
In this sequel to the New York Times bestselling House of Earth and Blood, the Crescent City series continues the story of a world about to explode and the people who will do anything to save it. According to the publisher, “Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal — they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

“The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what's right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.”

(Washington, D.C.: National League of American Pen Women, 2021).
This collection of 45 essays by Kirkland College alumnae, faculty, and administrators addresses subjects as wide-ranging as aging, loss, parenting, feminism, place, and the Kirkland experience.

Kirkland, the last private women’s college created in the United States, merged with Hamilton in 1978. The college fostered independent learning and creativity, with academic disciplines such as American studies, visual arts, dance, and history of science. Kirkland also offered one of the first undergraduate creative writing majors at a four-year college. Lost Orchard II captures the reflections and talents of those who knew it best.

“This collection of writing is a window into the minds and souls of the women Kirkland students became,” Christie Bell Vilsack K’72 notes. “What we did in the years we spent together is reflected in the words collected here. I read every word with the growing awareness that what we created together — founders, teachers, students, administrators — in rural upstate New York during the 12 years Kirkland existed, changed the trajectory of our lives and the many we’ve touched.”

This book follows Lost Orchard: Prose and Poetry from the Kirkland College Community (SUNY Press, 2014), which featured a diverse collection of poems, short stories, novel excerpts, creative nonfiction, and one-act plays by the Kirkland community. All proceeds from the sale of Lost Orchard II support the Samuel & Natalie Babbitt Kirkland Scholarship Fund.

* Special thanks to associate editors Nancy Avery Dafoe K’74, P’04, Liz Horwitt K’73, and Jo Pitkin K’78. Cover illustration by Linda Branch Dunn K’77.

(Bloomington, Ind.: Westbow Press, 2020)
Since 1999, the author has had a houseful of critters, mostly dogs, and mostly adopted rescues. As is noted on the book jacket, “God makes dogs to come in all shapes, sizes, and ages; and He does the same with dog lovers. This book is for all of them — the dogs, the people, and, especially, for God.”

(Georgetown, Ky.: Finishing Line Press, 2021)
Described by the publisher as “[a]n anti-war novella/contemporary fable written for YA and adults,” this book tells the story of a mother and son torn apart by war. According to reviewer and author Janine DeBaise, “In her compassionate telling of a heart-breaking (and yet sadly familiar) story — a mother cruelly separated from her child in wartime — Nancy Dafoe challenges her readers with a thought experiment about peace, a fable filled with wisdom and insight. The baby, swept away from the violent human world, grows up in a magical realm where spirit creatures teach him through story and song, encouraging him to listen beyond language. We follow the separate journeys of two people with an unbreakable bond: a mother transformed by pain, who realizes her vocation is to awaken in men the need for peace, and a son who never forgets the sound of his mother’s heartbeat.”

This is Avery Dafoe’s fourth book of fiction and her 11th published book.